Mets Trade Church For Jeff Francoeur

Moments ago in a press conference, Mets general manager Omar Minaya announced that they have traded rightfielder Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for rightfielder Jeff Francoeur.

It was no secret that Church was on the outs as I have frequently pointed out this season, so this shouldn’t come as a big surprise to readers of this blog.

It’s interesting to note that Francoeur was in the same kind of situation in Atlanta, and was frequently in Bobby Cox’s dog house.

It looks like an even swap on the surface as both are strong defenders but I would argue that the Mets clearly got themselves a potential star in Jeff Francoeur.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a shakeup as they are tooting on SNY, but it’s quite a nice haul for the Mets and hopefully Francoeur can fit right in and provide some pop out of rightfield.

Francoeur was batting .250 with 5 homeruns and 35 RBIs. He has a very underwhelming .634 OPS. That said, he is just 25 years old so there might be some upside. Francoeur is expected to be in the lineup on Saturday.

The trade seems like a swap of similar type players in desperate need of a change of scenery. But the Mets are getting a ton of potential in Francoeur who is young, plays gold glove defense, and has tremendous offensive potential. Since his major league debut on July 7, 2005, Francoeur has recorded 65 assists, the most in the majors during that time frame.

Francoeur hit .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBIs in 2007, but slumped badly last year and was sent to the minors, a move that he found embarrassing. Francoeur recently was benched for three games by Atlanta manager Bobby Cox.

This may not really change the complexion of the team on the surface, but it’s a subtle change that could have a great ripple effect in the Mets clubhouse as we finally get that fiery type player we haven’t had since we parted ways with Paul Lo Duca. Hopefully, his presence will recharge the team and have a positive effect on David Wright who is being crushed by the pressure of having to carry this team on his own.

Francoeur is also a grinder who will play everyday and is never hurt. Haven’t we been crying for a player like this for over two years now?

I understand that the Mets are still basically in the same situation as they were this morning, but maybe this is the start of something big and a precursor for more moves.

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73, '00 and '15, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction and interact with other passionate Met fans like you. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.